?To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.? Elbert Hubbard may not have been talking about stimulus spending when he said that, but his words certainly fit these times?especially when it comes to the flurry of opinions criticizing Ottawa’s choices in doling out that $40 billion stimulus package. One of the latest examples comes… Read more »
As economies wobble and layoffs pile up, adults are heading back to school in droves. ?Retraining!? is the cry of the hour, meaning everything from upgrading current skills to shifting careers entirely. Engineers are becoming teachers and assembly line workers are training as dental assistants, while governments are ploughing money into programs to ease the… Read more »
As the Globe and Mail pointed out this week, Canadian taxpayers ?shelled out nearly $270,000? last July for the change-of-command ceremony that bid farewell to General Rick Hillier, the country’s former chief of defence. Details of the expenses include $4,035 for a 21-gun salute, $23,101 for an aerial display by the Canadian Snowbirds, and $3,137… Read more »
Moral outrage is spewing across America like some kind of pecuniary Vesuvius. In the face of foreclosures, job losses, and a desperately unstable economy, everyone from plumbers to the president is calling for heads to roll at A.I.G. Not just the heads of those who pleaded for a government bailout and then handed $165 million… Read more »
The AUSU council meeting on March 9 was a full one, so let’s get straight to the highlights. First, several policies were up for review as part of council’s regular activities, and they concerned everything from copyright to finances. Of note is a change to policy 4.02, Copyright, which has been expanded to include multimedia… Read more »
I love technology. I love the fact that MRI machines can provide astonishing images of the human body, helping physicians diagnose illnesses. I still marvel at the concept of air travel; as one comic puts it, ?sitting in a chair in the sky.? And when it comes to communication, hook me up to high-speed and… Read more »
Our court jesters, from Rick Mercer to Jon Stewart and beyond, serve society well. They dare to expose the imperfections of the court, pointing out when the emperor’s pants have fallen down?or when he isn’t wearing any at all. Admittedly, the joke sometimes backfires, as in the recent shambles of a mock interview by Geri… Read more »
It’s a funny thing about setting government policy in a democracy: most of the time, citizens expect their leaders to live up to the standards that they set. Which makes it especially interesting that a couple of recent events have hit the news so close together. The first is that the Tories are going to… Read more »
This week, Canada is revelling in Obama-mania. Ever since the new US president announced that his first official foreign visit would land him in Ottawa, the media (along with countless security personnel) have been building toward the big moment when the plane door would open and Obama would appear. What would he say? What would… Read more »
Millions and billions and trillions, oh my. With all the news about billion-dollar spending packages and trillion-dollar debt, It’s easy for the average Canadian to feel a little like Dorothy Gale?disoriented in a strange land after being dropped out of the sky by a financial twister. But being a trusting lot, we’re reassured by the… Read more »